-
摘
要
透过称谓语的异同分析中西方文化差异
Comparative Study of
Address Termsin
Chinese and English
Cultures
摘
要
称谓是言语交际的第一关
,
是言语交
际策略中最基本的内容。由于文
化、历史、社会体制的不同
,
中文和英语的称谓习惯也有所不同
,
了解这
些差异将有助于语言学习者更好地达到交际的目的。
本文将中英称谓语分为姓名称谓、亲属称谓、社交称谓和指
代称谓
,
汉语称谓系统的划分比较复杂、详细
< br>,
涵盖了几百种称谓语
,
而英语
称谓系
统却相对简单、笼统、模糊
,
具
有高度的概括性。在宗法观念、思想观念、
价值取向、
经济意识
形态等方面的差异都很大
,
导致了汉英称谓系统的差异。
通过对中英称谓语分类比较
,
探讨造成这些差异的文化因素
,
以便英语
学习者能正确地使用称谓语。全面掌握中英称谓语的不同有助于了解
中英
文化的差异
,
使语言学习者克服由
于文化差异而导致的语言交际障碍
,
以便
更好地推动中西经济、政治的交流
,
促进各国的合作与发展<
/p>
,
从而推动跨文
化交际的顺利进行。
关键词：称谓语；文化根源；跨文化交际
I
C
Abstract
Address
terms
is
the
first
level
and
the
most
basic
content
of
verbal
communication.
Due
to
the
different
cultures,
histories
and
social
systems,
habits
of
Chinese
and
English
address
terms
are
different.
It
is
helpful
for
language learners to communicate with
understanding these differences.
In this paper, address terms are
divided into the name address, kinship terms,
social address and reference terms.
Chinese address terms system is complex and
detailed, and includes
hundreds of
address
terms. While English
address
terms
system is relatively
simple, general, fuzzy and with a high degree of
generality.
The differences in
patriarchal concept, ideas, values, economic
ideology result in
the differences
between Chinese and English address terms system.
English
learners
can
use
address
terms
properly
by
comparing
and
classifying
Chinese
and
English
address
terms
and
discussing
cultural
factors
which lead to the
differences. A comprehensive command of address
terms can
help to understand the
differences between Chinese and British culture,
so that
language
learners
can
overcome
communication
difficulties
resulting
from
the
cultural differences. It
can also better promote economic and political
exchanges
between Chinese and Western,
and encourage the cooperation and development
with
other
nations,
and
thereby
promote
the
smooth
progress
of
cross-cultural
communication.
Keywords:
Address terms;
Cultural root; Cross-cultural communication
II
Abbreviation
Abbreviation
etc.
et cetera
III
C
Contents
摘要
.
..
..................................................
..................................................
........ I
Abstract ........
..................................................
..............................................
I
I
Abbreviation
.
...
..................................................
.........................................
III
Contents
.
..........................................
..................................................
......... IV
Introduction ..
..................................................
..............................................
1
Chapter One Literature Rev
iew...............................................
..................... 3
1.1
Address Terms ....................................
............................................
3
1.2 Current Domestic and
International Studies of Address Terms
错
误
！
未定义书签。
1.2.1 Domestic Research on Address
Terms .
错误！未定义书签。
1.2.2 International Research on Address
Terms
Chapter TwoComparisonbetween
Chinese and English Address
Terms
错误！
未定义书签。
2.1 Comparison of Name Address.........
...............................................
8
2.2 Comparison of Kinship
Terms ............................................
......... 10
2.3 Comparison of Social Address
2.3.1General Social Address
2.3.2 Professional Titles
2.3.3 Fictive Kinship Terms
2.4
Comparison of Reference Terms
2.4.1 Address
Pronouns
2.4.2 Descriptive Terms
Chapter ThreeComparison betweenChinese
and English Cultural Root
Leading To
the Differences of Address Terms .................
.................................. 10
3.1 Differences in Family Structure and
Lineages Concept between
China and
Western Countries
3.1.1
Chinese Big Families with Several
Generations Together
IV
List of Figures
3.1.2 Western Dink Families
3.2 DifferentChinese and Western
Ethical Thoughts
....................... 18
3.2.1
Confucianism in China
3.2.2
Christianity in Western Countries
3.3
Influence of Individualism and Collectivism on
Chinese and
Western Address Terms .....
..................................................
........................... 19
3.3.1
Collectivism in China
3.3.2
Individualism in Western Countries
Conclusion
.
.....
..................................................
..........................................
21
References ..............
..................................................
.................................. 23
Acknowledgements ......................
..............................
错误！未定义书签。
V
Chapter One Introduction
Introduction
Address terms
reflect a person's role and status in particular
relationships of
the human society, and
mirror the human relations in a certain socio-
cultural or
language-specific
environment.
People
are
social
animals,
everyone
has
corresponding
relations
with
the
people
around
them.
Address
terms
are
the
cultural
symbols
of
interpersonal
relationship,
and
the
signals
and
bridges
to
communicate
for
the
daily
relationship.
They
are
not
only
the
simple
phonetic
symbols, but also
the comprehensive embodiment of customs of a
country and a
nation, traditional
culture and social, political and economic
relations, and imply
the
history
of
a
nation
and
the
cultural
accumulation.
They
can
help
people
cognize
their
roles
in
social
groups,
and
also
build,
define
and
confirm
the
relationship
with
others.
Address
terms
reflect
both
the
social
attributes
and
values
of
parties
in
communication.
This
is
closely
related
with
their
social,
cultural and ethical values. From the
usage of address terms we can see role and
identity, social status, close or
distant relations, depth ofemotion of two parts of
communication.
Address
terms
are
both
a
special
part
of
the
language
and
a
cultural
phenomenon,
so
to
speak,
each
has
a
different
level
of
cultural
connotation and as well be dominated by
human cultural practices and individual
psychology. They are bound up with
culture. English and Chinese are different
languages
with
different
cultural
origins.
Therefore,
experienced
over
many
years
in
the
history
of
sedimentation
and
cultural
development,
both
of
them
have formed their respective rules and
customs, which, different or similar, are
the
refraction
of
the
cultures
and
also
the
contact
and
interaction
between
different cultures
and civilizations.
Chinese
families
are
extend
families
which
pay
great
attention
to
blood
relationship. Owing to
large kinship networks, and by extension, social
networks,
coupled with the sense of
hierarchy and the concept of traditional
officialdom of
Confucianism, and also
the ideology of collectivism, Chinese address
terms are
relatively
complex,
detailed
and
highly
creatable.
However,
there
are
almost
1
C
DINK
families
in
Western
countries,
relatively
independent.
Influenced
by
equality
ideology
of
Christianity
and
individualism,
English
address
terms
are
simpler and more this paper, address
terms are divided into four major
categories: name address, kinship
terms, social address and reference terms. By
the
classification
and
comparison
of
Chinese
and
Western
address
terms,
it
analyses the differences between the
underlying Chinese and Western cultures to
promote our cross-cultural
communication.
2
Chapter Two Literature
Review
Chapter One
Literature Review
1.1 Address Terms
To
study
address
terms,
we
should
first
know
what
address
terms
are.
According
to
Contemporary
Chinese
Dictionary
(2007:
170),
address
terms
are
appellations used in the mutual
relations between relatives and other people, as
well as to show statues, occupations
and so on. While in
Longman Dictionary
of
Contemporary English
(2004: 16), it refers to
use for
someone when you are speaking to
them.
In China, the word
Biography of Xiao Wu Wen-
Empress Dowager Liin The Book of the
Chin Dynasty
originally.
people know it, but her
title is just Queen Dowager.
It is not enough to express
the mind of His Majesty and
respectfully answer immortals.
Her name should
be corrected
venerably according to the past
regulations
Biography of Xiao Wu
Wen-Empress Dowager Li
). The
appellation.
Terms
of
address
are
linguistic
forms
that
are
used
in
addressing
others
to
attract
their
attention
or
for
referring
to
them
in
the
course
of
a
conversation (M.H.
Keshavarz, 2001: 157). Moreover, Zhao and Song
(1996: 71)
thought
that
address
terms
are
words
used
to
address
oneself
or
others.
While
Chen
(2010)
assumed
that
the
social
address
forms,
which
plays
the
role
of
maintaining and
strengthening personal relationship, are the
recognization about
the
other's
identity,
status,
role
and
the
relationship
between
each
other.
Furthermore, Zhu defined the system of
address terms in broad and narrow sense.
The
former
is
applied
to
all
humans
and
materials;
and
the
latter
is
applied
to
especially
all
humans
and
refers
to
all
kinds
of
appellations
in
social
communication.
Address terms system in narrow sense is
interpersonal system
of address terms,
which falls roughly into kinship terms, social
addresses, names
and reference terms.
Terms
of
address,
as
linguistic
means
to
denote
the
speaker's
position
in
relation
to
their
addressees,
have
been
accepted
as
an
essential
part
of
most
interaction
oriented
utterances
(Kielkiewicz-
Janowiak
2000).
Beidelman
3
C
(1963) pointed out that a
change in relational roles should change the
choice of
address
terms
relational
partners
use.
This
suggests
that
address
terms
are
meaningful and have functions in the
building and maintaining of identity.
Li
(2000) regarded address
terms as an essential part of communication.
They are
directive
for
communicators
and
adsorbing
for
the
relationship
between
communicators and utterances.
Ding (1995) added that
address terms can also
convey
different
meanings,
emotions
and
tones
through
differentiating
the
relationship of people.
However, Fang considered the address
terms as a start
of communication and
also a window of observing social ethic.
Confucius said,
nothing
will
come
of
it.
(
Zi
Lu,
the
Analects
of
Confuciu
2009:
14)
The
discussed
refers
to
address
term,
incorrect
use
of
which
can
hinder
effective
communication
and
cannot
reach
the
anticipated
purpose.
Address
terms to some degree are reflection of
different national culture, so they play an
important
role
in
developing
intercultural
communication
(Xu,
2003).
Xia
(2004) concluded that as a special part
of the language, address term, which is
dominant formation, is closely related
with the culture.
1.2
Current
Domestic
and
International
Studies
of
Address
Terms
The
Chinese research of address terms has a long
history.
Shi Qin of Erh
Ya
is the earliest ancient
book containing commentaries on classics, names,
etc.
With 3000-year
history, it systematically recorded Chinese
ancient kinships and
more than 200
kinship terms.
For example,
the sisters of father are aunt, while
the
brothers
of
mother
are
uncles.
In
modern
times,
domestic
scholars
researched
address
terms
from
various
angles.
For
instance,
from
the
perspective of social linguistics, Chen
(1984) studies the changes of non-relative
terms
between
two
generations
in
Beijing,
and
Pan
and
Zhang
(2001)
made
a
social
survey
on
extended
usage
of
Chinese
kinship
terms;
from
the
angle
of
pragmatic
function,
Zhu
and
Ma
(2003)
analyzed
the
interpersonal
function
of
address
terms;
from
the
cultural
and
ethical
aspect,
Yang
(1989)
gave
a
discussion about
address
terms,
and
Li
(1990) talked about
Chinese
traditional
4
Chapter Two Literature
Review
address
terms
and culture;
from
the side of
interpretation
and TCSL (Teaching
Chinese
as
a
Second
Language),
Cui
(1996)
studied
contemporary
Chinese
system
of
address
terms,
and
Zhou
(2001)
touched
upon
teaching
of
Chinese
address terms.
In
Western
countries,
the
study
on
address
terms
was
said
originally
by
American
anthropologist
Morgen,
who
analyzed
the
system
of
kinship
and
in-laws
in
nineteenth
century.
With
the
birth
of
social
linguistics,
linguists
began
to
focus
on
address
terms.
Brown
discovered
the
referential
usage
of
second
person
pronoun
in
Indo-European
language.
Lyons,
Fil-more
and
Ingram tried to
integrate address terms into grammatical category.
Leviso and
Zwicky tended to regard address terms
as deixis.
1.2.1 Domestic Research on
Address Term
s
According
to
Address
Forms
Schema:
the
Cognitive
Pattern
of
Address
Form
by Li (2000: 10),
address term not only plays the directive and
absorbing
roles, but is also a
cognitive pattern- AFS (Address Form Schema).
It
is
made
of
the
distinguished
characters
of
the
people
types,
and
it
expresses
the
expectations
to
the
person
who
is
addressed.
AFS
comes
out
through
three
ways:
character
prompting,
capacity
prompting
and
semantic
prompting.
AFS
deeply
controls
the
ways
the
social
cognition
on
others
and
ourselves, so our conclusion is that,
the time we address other people one title is
just the time we socially recognize the
others by the AFS.
Through
analysis
of
social
cognition
of
address
terms,
Wei
(2010)
considered
that
besides
serving
communication,
address
terms
can
also
reflect
the various social
psychology and value orientations.
Xu (2009) explored that
the
system
of
self-
depreciatory
address
terms
by
politeness
principle,
and
recognized that the purpose of using
address
terms
is
to
attract
addressees
and
maintain,
relax
and
improve
the
relationships
between
communicators.
Therefore,
she
believed
that
politeness
principle is
the
basic
principle
of using
address terms.
Xia (1997) discovered that when using
address terms, there are
two
noticeable
relations-
power
relation
and
solidarity
relation.
Liang
(2009)
proposed
that
address
terms
are
closely
connected
with
not
only
grammar,
pragmatics and semantics, but rhetoric
as well.
He showed that
intensifying the
5
C
knowledge of the
rhetorical function of address terms will heighten
the effect if
language expression.
1.2.2 International Research on Address
Terms
The main objective of the present
study is to investigate the impact of social
context
as
well
as
intimacy
and
distance
on
the
choice
of
forms
of
address
in
Persian
(M.
H.
Keshavarz,
2001).
He
assumed
that
as
social
distance
and
degree
of
formality
of
context
increase,
the
frequency
of
familiar
terms
of
address
decreases.
It
was
also
found
that
in
informal
situations
age
is
more
significant
than
sex
and
social
class
in
determining
forms
of
address.
In
Personal Pronouns and
Forms of Address in Malay
by Karim
(1995: 188), he
put
forward
that
basically
there
are
two
types
of
forms
of
address:
titles
and
names.
Under the category titles
are: (a) traditional titles for men and women;
(b)
kinship
names;
(c)
class
titles;
(d)
bestowed
titles;
(e)
professional
titles.
Under
the category names are actual names of person,
either in full forms or their
abbreviated forms.
culture or
business subculture for identifying someone who is
being addressed by
written or oral
means
He stated that in
British society, the
possession of
letters and qualifications, including military
decorations, academic
degrees, and
memberships in professional bodies is noteworthy,
and some British
business persons may
be offended if such designations are not placed
after their
names in written documents.
For example, John Smythe
Esq. VC MBA MBIM
MP indicates that John
Smythe, who is held in high esteem as indicated by
Esq.
for Esquire, has been awarded the
Victoria Cross, has earned an MBA degree, is
a
member
of
the
British
Institute
of
Management,
and
is
a
Member
of
Parliament.
Kellas (2008) inquired the
step family address terms, and in the study she
examined
the
use
and
meaning
of
stepfamily
address
terms
in
an
attempt
to
understand how stepchildren use them
and make sense of relational identities as
well
as
potentially
difficult
stepfamily
transitions.
Results
of
39
in-depth
interviews suggested that the variety
of address terms may be grouped according
to
formal,
familiar,
and
familial
terms
and
suggested
stepchildren
regularly
6
Chapter Two
Literature Review
engage
in
code-switching
depending
on
their
audience.
Stepchildren
reported
using
address
terms
to
signify
solidarity,
separateness,
and/or
to
manage
the
balance of stepfamily
life.
Nevela
(2004)
pointed
out
that
the
use
of
forms
of
address
is
one
of
the
ways
in
which
politeness
is
manifested
in
speech
and
writing.
For
example,
when the speaker
wishes to emphasize his/her close relationship
with the hearer
or the referent,
positively
polite formulae
like first
names are most often used.
Negative politeness is
constructed as a means of avoiding face-
threatening acts,
and this can be done
by using last names and titles.
According to
The Strategic
Use of Forms of Address in Political
Interviews
by Bull and Fetzer (2006:
4), in
media
discourse
as
well
as
in
ordinary
discourse,
a
change
of
address
forms,
self-references, and
other references by self or other is of great
importance to the
negotiation of
identities and social roles and thus to discourse
coherence.
7
C
Chapter Two Comparison between Chinese
and
English Address Terms
2.1 Comparison of Name
Address
In the modern human
society, everyone has his own name. As an
important
part of the address terms
system, name address generally includes family
name
and
given
name,
the
former
represents
the
family;
The
latter
is
one
or
a
few
words,which represent a personwith the
surname together in order to distinguish
with
other
people.
The
two
parts
have
cultural
connotation,
not
only
mutually
related but alsoindependent. In spoken
English, the role of name is to callor refer
to others. Both are necessary to the
communication. And it is able to distinguish
individual from group,as well as
another individual. For written words, name can
also record individual situation. The
Chinese and western name address is similar
in the above aspects.
Family
name and given name is a unified and inseparable
whole, but each
has
its
characteristics.
From
a
philosophical
point
of
view,
surname
are
not
selectable,well given name is the
opposite. That is, generally speaking, a person's
surname is innate,his surname has
already been doomed before he is born,and he
has nochoice. On the contrary, given
name is acquiredafter birth when his parents
consider giving him the name.
If we make a
careful study of the Chinese and western name
address, with
First, the different
external formsare one of the major differences
between
Chinese and western name
address.
On one hand, the structure of
Chinese and western name is different.
The
general structure of
Chinese names is that the surname comes first and
the given
name
second.
This
is
an
absolute
sequence,which
cannot
be
reversed.
The
general structure of English name is
that the given name is in advance, middle
name and family name in the rear.
However, on many occasions, middle name is
often omitted to write.
8
the comparison, we can
find more differences than similarities between
the two.
Chapter Two Comparison between
Chinese and English Address Terms
On
the
other
hand,
Chinese
name
is
extremely
brief,
single
surname
addingone-character
given
name(such
as
Hong
and
single
surname
plus
two-character
given
name
(such
as
Xiulan
are
common.
The
two
kinds
of
name
have
only
two
and
three
characters
respectively.
Even
rare,
the
name, with double surname adding two-
character given name (such as
Guangming
or
six
syllables
is
a
rarity.
It
depends
on
the
feature
of
Chinese
suffices
to say that Chinese name is the shortest in the
main nations of the world.
Nevertheless,
in
major
western
nation
name,
most
names
have
long
syllables
(such
as
Francisco
Romolo
Bellarmino
Because
the
structure of western
name has no variable mode and strict restriction,
the name
can be lengthened artificially
and indefinitely. Sometimes family name could be
freely
spelled.
Thename
can
also
be
added
to
a
large
number
of
random
ready-
made
names
and
spelling
symbols.
This
results
in
unregulated
westernname.
Secondly,Chinese
surnamehas
a
strong
patriarchal
color,while
western
surname
hasa strong religious color.
As the
patriarchal color of chinese name is extremely
thick, Chinese name
is
the
champion language in
the world,
in
which, the
so-
called
not
only
the
identity
logo
within
the
clan,
but
also
the
identification
expression
in
social communication and
the image reflection of the order and structure of
the
clan.
The names of the
first western nation emerged as an identifier.
Given name
is placed before family name
in order to distinguish siblings. Therefore, the
name
then was simple. With religious
appearing, naming became a significant religious
and
culture
n
names
are
along
with
quite
strong
religious
color.
According to Christian and Catholic
Canon, baptismwill be done after the child
is born, sometimes even to hole a grand
religious ceremony, and then give the
child a name.
Thirdly,
Chinese surname always avoid badness and ugliness,
while pursue
goodness and beauty.
Western surname has noting to avoid.
There rarely are characters with bad
sense, even if, they will be changed on
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C
purpose.
This
is
entirely
consistent
with
Chinese
aesthetic
psychology.
In
western
language,
however,
defects
and
wickednesses
are
not
evaded
when
people take a surname.
Fourthly, the usage of name address is
distinct between China and Occident.
In western country, people usually do
not address someone by full name. If
this
is
the
case,
it
is
just
popular
between
superior
and
subordinate.
while
in
Chinese,
in addition to the case
above, it is
also suitable for using in the same
generation, such as classmates and
close friends.
In
western
countries,
to
call
someone
his
given
name
is
fashionable.
Students can
even directly call the teacher's given name in
some university. By
contrast,
the
useable
range
of
Chinese
given
name
is
more
limited.
Using
the
given name in Chinese
often shows not only the close relation, but also
intimacy,
so
friends
of
opposite
sex
should
be
careful
to
avoid
unnecessary
misunderstanding.
2.2 Comparison of Kinship Terms
Kinship
terms
are
used
to
name
and
address
one's
relatives.
They
are
the
reflections
of
the
real
relative
relationship.
Kinship
system
is
human
relations
system
originated
from
marriage,
blood
relationship
and
law.
It
is
an
irreplaceable factor in
any social relationship. This is not only the main
element
to manage the individual
behaviours, but also the main element to influence
the
group formation of the society,
politics and regions. Kin relationship is not only
a
social
structure,
but
also
a
kind
of
cultural
structure
in
its
essence.
It
is
the
special creation of
human culture.
Firstly,
Chinese
kinship
terms
system
and
English
kinship
terms
system
belong to different relatives address
terms systems. The former belongs to Sudan
relatives address terms, while the
latter one belongs to Eskimo relatives address
terms system. Sudan relatives attach
more importance to man's surname, which
would cause inequality between
immediate relatives and collateral relative in the
position.
These
features
cause
patriarchal
kinship
terms
of
Chinese
kinship
termssystem to be
extremely complex and huge. However, Eskimo
kinship terms
attach great importance
to the nuclear family status, which will certainly
cause
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